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CreativeMinds pilot at Learning Lab expands after positive first‑year results; district will add second classroom
Summary
After a yearlong pilot, board members heard that CreativeMinds — a K‑6 vertical, mastery‑based program at the Learning Lab — will expand from one to two classrooms next year; staff cited student growth on interim measures, strong parent engagement and a $6,000 annual facility fee.
Wichita Public Schools staff and CreativeMinds teachers briefed the Board of Education April 7 on results from the pilot CreativeMinds vertical school, and said the program will expand from one classroom to two in the Learning Lab next school year.
Rob Dixon and Olivia Sumner described the model as a K‑6 vertical classroom that uses mastery‑based instruction, project‑based learning and family engagement. The program operates at the Learning Lab site and serves a small cohort (16 students in year one). Staff said students scored gains on interim FastBridge assessments (reading fluency, math and comprehension) and that student confidence and family satisfaction were high.
Dixon told the board the program currently pays about $6,000 a year to use Learning Lab facilities; the district does not pay separately for supplies inside the lab. Sumner described classroom routines: community building, mastery‑based math and reading groups, and student‑led projects. Examples included an invention project that produced a “Bestie Bot” prototype; students planned outreach to Groover Labs for marketing advice and will show work at a public innovation showcase April 17 from 3–5 p.m. at the Learning Lab.
Board members asked about logistics and equity. Staff said breakfast and lunch service will be added next year and that the program partners with Franklin Elementary and EIA for IEP and special‑education support; gifted facilitation is provided by district staff who also visit other micro‑schools. Dixon said CreativeMinds had a waiting list approaching 100 families and that next year staff plan a grade‑level lottery to allocate seats equitably if more families apply than space allows.
The board said the model may be a “school‑within‑a‑school” candidate and discussed standards alignment across grades; staff noted particular complexity serving sixth‑grade standards in a K‑6 mixed environment. School leaders said parents and community volunteers are heavily involved in daily operations and that the Learning Lab’s STEM and media spaces were important to the program’s design.
No formal vote was required for the update; the board acknowledged the report and thanked staff for the pilot work.
